Ayatollah Khamenei the Leader of the Islamic Revolution met with the head and members of the Assembly of Experts. Speaking at this meeting, which was also attended by Mr. Rafsanjani, His Eminence described the assembly as enjoying a very high position and said that it provides reassurance for the people and the Islamic Republic. He referred to the principles of the Islamic Revolution as the main criteria indicating the right path. He added: "One of the important duties of the Assembly of Experts is to preserve and strengthen the foundations of the Islamic Republic and its fundamental slogans and orientations."
Ayatollah Khamenei described the high scholarly and religious status of the members of the Assembly of Experts and the criteria for their election as some of the reasons behind the special importance of this assembly. "The duties of this assembly, which include the election and constant supervision of the leader, are another reason behind the high status of this assembly. As a result, the Assembly of Experts is a solution for the challenges facing the Islamic Republic."
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution touched upon the constitutional structure of the Islamic Republic, further reiterating: "This constitutional structure applies to various other legal departments of the government and constitutes the minimum requirement for safeguarding the Islamic Republic. But this constitutional structure is the necessary, but not sufficient, requirement."
His Eminence regarded the preservation and strengthening of the foundations of the Islamic Republic as the sufficient condition. "If the content and the principles are disregarded, the formal appearance of the government may disguise the gradual and subtle changes that could corrupt the government, which in some cases may not even be noticed by the elites," he said.
He compared the formal appearance of the government with computer hardware, saying: "The software, which consists of the intellectual orientations, fundamental characteristics, and the major slogans of the Islamic Revolution, is more important for the preservation of the government," he noted.
Describing the major characteristics of the Islamic Revolution, he added: "Seeking justice, genuine independence and freedom, fighting arrogant powers, avoiding the adoption of a passive attitude against the enemy, populist orientation, kindness to the oppressed, avoidance of extravagance and aristocratic lifestyles are among the most basic principles of the Islamic Revolution must not be subject to the slightest change."
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution said that these principles derive their value from the fact that they have been based on the Quran and Islamic thought.
His Eminence also referred to the constant propaganda efforts on the part of the foreigners against the government and added: "This is a general policy adopted by the foreigners that has been used against all administrations since the victory of the Islamic Revolution. They used to adopt an aggressive attitude towards our administrations whenever they felt that some of the activities on the part of a particular administration were in line with Islamic principles and were against the wishes of the arrogant powers. Also they used to express their appreciation of a particular measure on the part of the administration whenever they found it to be in line with their interests."
Elsewhere in his speech, Ayatollah Khamenei touched upon the principle of fighting arrogant powers and said: "We must not back down when faced with the arrogant enemy. On the contrary, we must help the Islamic Republic achieve so much power, solidity, and security that the enemies are forced to feel helpless."
His Eminence also stressed that the history and the principles of the Islamic Revolution must not be denigrated. "There are some people who are trying to denigrate the first decade of the Revolution and the stance adopted by Imam Khomeini (r.a.). That is while the stance of our magnanimous Imam and the orientations of the Islamic Republic were flawless in the first decade of the Revolution, and the current orientations of the government are in line with those initial orientations."
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution touched upon the recent scientific movement in the country and said: "Today there is no complex technological activity that is beyond the capabilities of our youth, and this scientific capability is one of the major causes of our nation's power."
Referring to the administration's plan for economic transformation, he said: "There are different views regarding this plan, but extra care must be taken not to let the expression of these views cause anxiety and bewilderment in the country."
Ayatollah Khamenei stressed the need for the unified orientation of different groups living in the country and added: "In this regard, the political current that adheres more closely to the principles of the Islamic Revolution must be strengthened and provided with support."